From Palisades to Parkland: Pooped after another busy weekend

It's Sunday and I'm settling in to watch some of the NFL games and catch up on some reading after a busy weekend. Before I do, thought I'd do a little blog update.

Coming off three straight nights of basketball. Saw Allen at Northampton Thursday, Palmerton at Palisades Friday and Easton at Parkland on Friday.

Gotta say that I most enjoyed my trip to Palisades, once I knew where I was going. Got off track where 412 and 212 split, but I found the place in Upper Bucks County for my first game down there in at least 20 years, maybe longer.

Folks down there made me feel welcome. Principal Rich Heffernan, the former Liberty football coach, AD Becky George, and football coach Brian Gilbert all happily greeted me. Guess they were surprised to see me there for a battle of winless teams. They appreciated me being there, which is something that usually doesn't happen when I go to the bigger venues in the Lehigh Valley.

The Palisades folks at the scorer's table -- timer Nancy Kemmerer and longtime scorekeeper Mike Zonay were also very kind. I was glad I ventured outside my routine, outside my comfort zone and went to a place I hadn't been to in awhile, even if the drive home is a little nerve-wracking because of the twists and turns and the thought that a deer could jump out at any minute.

What I liked about going down there was the small-town feel. It was a small crowd in a small gym and a game that had no bearing on league or district races. It was just a game of basketball, played largely for pride, played without a lot of pressure and expectations, and there was something refreshing about that.

Both Palmerton and Palisades competed hard. Neither team sparkled with a lot of skill. Obviously, both have a lot of work to do. Butt there was no shortage of effort or spirit.

Was happy for the Bombers who won their first game, but felt bad for the Pirates, who had a real good chance at ending a 64-game losing streak slip away. Mike Viglianti, a longtime Easton assistant, is working his butt off down there and has infused the program with fundamentals and basketball savvy. He has a few young players to build around and needs a few more.

When I looked around the gym and saw all kinds championship banners from different sports, I was reminded that Palisades has had its share of good athletes and teams over the years. Just not in boys basketball. But give Viglianti time. Palisades is going to become competitive.

On Saturday night, I went to Parkland. It was a very different atmosphere. Big school. Big-time feel. TV cameras were there. Big difference in expectations.

While Palisades and Palmerton were playing mostly for fun, Parkland wasn't having any. It's clear that there's disappointment, discontent with the Trojans. There's a lot of moaning and groaning going on in the bleachers, mostly among the parents, and it has to be filtering down to the kids themselves.

The season hasn't gone as expected for Parkland, which was the Lehigh Valley Conference's preseason favorite going back to the summer when they won the Stellar tournament and Allentown/Cedar Beach summer league titles.

The Trojans are feeling the pressure of a season crumbling. The harder they tried, the more difficult it seemed for the ball to go through the cylinder for them. They knew they had to play a perfect game to beat a quicker Easton team and were far from it..

Coach Rich Fatzinger, who is used to the heat at Parkland, continues to search for the right combination. He said it all comes down to making shots. Parkland missed the good ones and bad ones on Saturday night and now they're basically out of the LVC tournament picture and will use the final three weeks of the regular season to get ready for the District 11 4A tournament.

Despite their current doldrums, I wouldn't count them out in districts. Remember, four years ago, they were beaten by Parkland four times and yet, still found a way to be in Hershey for the state finals. It's a long season, and if you can click at the right time, you can still go a long way.

And while Liberty and Easton rank as No. 1 and 2 in the area, I wouldn't count out Allen, Northampton, Emmaus, Dieruff, etc., either. Right now, the Hurricanes and Red Rovers have been the most consistent teams and that's why they're at the top. But beneath them are a bunch of good teams capable of beating -- or losing -- to virtually anybody on a given night. It's going to be an interesting stretch run. Kudos to Dieruff for its win over Northampton, which is quickly become the hardest team to figure.

Beat Parkland and Allen, but lose to CCHS and Dieruff? Goes to show how unpredictable this season has been in the upper echelon of the LVC.

And, over in the Colonial League, a Groller's Corner tip of the hat to Bron Holland's Bangor team for knocking off Southern Lehigh and to Wilson for beating Catty on Friday night. With the possible exception of those two rebuilding teams I saw at Palisades, the Colonial League may be more balanced, more competitive, and more unpredictable than the LVC.

This coming week, I'll see Liberty twice -- at Allen on Tuesday and at Parkland on Saturday.

I'll look forward to watching the area's best team play, but as I found out on Friday night, you could still have fun watching two teams at the other end of the spectrum go at it.

Current Comments

Keith-In today's TV comumn you mentioned that the Pigs were going to be on the radio on 90.2 FM.It is actually 90.3 because ALL FM stations end in an ODD number. I still think you do a GREAT job though.